Memory First Process Flow and Device

ABSTRACT

A semiconductor device and method of making the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a memory gate on a charge storage structure formed on a substrate, a select gate on a gate dielectric on the substrate proximal to the memory gate, and a dielectric structure between the memory gate and the select gate, and adjacent to sidewalls of the memory gate and the select gate, wherein the memory gate and the select gate are separated by a thickness of the dielectric structure. Generally, the dielectric structure comprises multiple dielectric layers including a first dielectric layer adjacent the sidewall of the memory gate, and a nitride dielectric layer adjacent to the first dielectric layer and between the memory gate and the select gate. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 15/181,138, filed Jun. 13, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/715,577, filed Dec. 14, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,368,606, both of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to improved semiconductor device and methods and apparatus for making such semiconductor device.

BACKGROUND

A Flash memory permits stored data to be retained even if power to the memory is removed. A Flash memory cell stores data either by storing electrical charge in an electrically isolated floating gate of a field effect transistor (FET) or by storing electrical charge in a dielectric layer underlying a control gate of a FET. The stored electrical charge controls the threshold of the FET, thereby controlling the memory state of the Flash memory cell.

A Flash memory cell is commonly programmed using hot carrier injection to inject charge carriers either onto a floating gate or into charge trapping sites in a dielectric layer underlying a control, gate. High drain and gate voltages are used to speed up the programming process. Thus, the Flash memory cell conducts a high current during programming, which is undesirable in low voltage and low power applications.

A split-gate cell is a type of Flash memory cell, in which a select gate is placed adjacent a memory gate, providing lower current during hot-carrier-based programming operation. During the programming of the split-gate cell, the select gate is biased at a relatively low voltage, and only the memory gate is biased at the high voltage to provide the vertical electric field necessary for hot-carrier injection. Since the acceleration of the carriers takes place in the channel region mostly under the select gate, the relatively low voltage on the select gate above that region results in more efficient carrier acceleration in the horizontal direction compared to the conventional memory cell. That makes the hot-carrier injection more efficient with lower current and lower power consumption during the programming operation. A split-gate cell may be programmed using techniques other than hot-carrier injection, and depending on the technique, any advantage over the conventional Flash memory cell during the programming operation may vary.

Fast read time is another advantage of the split-gate cell. Because the select gate is in series with the memory gate, the erased state of the memory gate can be near or in depletion mode (i.e., threshold voltage, Vt, less than zero volt). Even when the erased memory gate is in such depletion mode, the select gate in the off state prevents the channel from conducting substantial current. With the threshold voltage of the erase state at or below zero, the threshold voltage of the programmed state does not need to be very high while still providing a reasonable read margin between the erased and the programmed states. The resulting voltages applied to both the select gate and the memory gate in read operation are less than or equal to the supply voltage. Therefore, not having to pump the supply voltage to a higher level makes the read operation faster.

It is also becoming increasingly common to monolithically incorporate multiple field-effect devices on the same substrate as the memory cells to provide improved efficiency, security, functionality, and reliability. As such, many processes are tailored in order to conform with standard CMOS fabrication. For example, a chip with split-gate cells may also include other field-effect devices to perform various logic and power control processes.

These other field-effect devices may include transistors tailored for high speed operation, while other transistors are tailored for handling higher-than-normal operating voltages. However, incorporating both on the same substrate along with the split-gate cell is challenging as each requires different fabrication parameters. Accordingly, there is a need for device and methods for integrating these split-gate cells and other field-effect devices with improved performance, cost, and manufacturability.

SUMMARY

A semiconductor device is provided. According to embodiments, the semiconductor device includes a memory gate disposed in a first region of the semiconductor device. The memory gate may include a first gate conductor layer formed, for instance, of polycrystalline silicon (“poly”) disposed over a charge trapping dielectric. A select gate may be disposed in the first region of the semiconductor device adjacent to a sidewall of the memory gate. A sidewall dielectric may be disposed between the sidewall of the memory gate and the select gate. Additionally, the device may include a logic gate disposed in a second region of the semiconductor device that comprises the first gate conductor layer.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a first region and a second region is provided. According to the method, the second region is masked and a layer of gate conductor is disposed above a charge trapping dielectric in the first region. The gate conductor layer can be etched to form a memory gate. A sidewall dielectric can be disposed on a sidewall of the memory gate and a second layer of gate conductor can be formed. The second layer of gate conductor can then be etched to form a select gate adjacent to the side wall of the memory gate. The first region can then be masked and a logic gate can be formed in the second region of the semiconductor device.

According to other embodiments, the semiconductor device includes a memory gate on a charge storage structure formed on a substrate, a select gate on a gate dielectric on the substrate proximal to the memory gate, and a dielectric structure between the memory gate and the select gate, and adjacent to sidewalls of the memory gate and the select gate, wherein the memory gate and the select gate are separated by a thickness of the dielectric structure. Generally, at least a portion of the dielectric structure is positioned or extends between the charge storage structure and the gate dielectric. In one embodiment, the dielectric structure comprises one or more dielectric layers including a first oxide layer adjacent the sidewall of the memory gate, a second oxide layer adjacent the sidewall of the select gate, and a silicon nitride (SiN) or silicon oxynitride (SiON) layer between the first and second oxide layers. Where the dielectric structure includes a silicon nitride layer, the silicon nitride can include a Si₃N₄ layer or a silicon rich nitride layer.

Further features and advantages of embodiments of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. Such embodiments are presented herein for illustrative purposes only. Additional embodiments will be apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which corresponding reference symbols indicate corresponding parts. Further, the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable a person skilled in the relevant art(s) to make and use the invention.

FIG. 1 depicts a cross-section of a split-gate memory cell according to various embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a memory cell in a memory array according to various embodiments.

FIG. 3 depicts a cross-section of a semiconductor device according to various embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a memory device according to various embodiments.

FIGS. 5A-5I depict a cross-section of a memory device at various points during its manufacture according to various embodiments.

FIGS. 6A-6D depict a cross-section of a memory device at various points during its manufacture according to various embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart depicting a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to various embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart depicting a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to various embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart depicting a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to various embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart depicting a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to various embodiments.

FIGS. 11A-11E depict a cross-section of a memory device at various points during its manufacture according to various embodiments.

FIG. 12 depicts a cross-section of a memory device having a memory gate and select gate separated by a dielectric structure according to various embodiments.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart depicting a method of manufacturing the memory device of FIG. 12 according to various embodiments.

FIGS. 14A-14G depict a cross-section of the memory device of FIG. 12 at various points during its manufacture according to various embodiments.

The features and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This specification discloses one or more embodiments that incorporate the features of this invention. The disclosed embodiment(s) merely exemplify the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment(s). The present invention is defined by the claims appended hereto.

The embodiment(s) described, and references in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment(s) described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is understood that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

Before describing the various embodiments in more detail, further explanation shall be given regarding certain terms that may be used throughout the descriptions.

The term “etch” or “etching” is used herein to generally describe a fabrication process of patterning a material, such that at least a portion of the material remains after the etch is completed. For example, it should be understood that the process of etching silicon involves the steps of patterning a masking layer (e.g., photoresist or a hard mask) above the silicon, and then removing the areas of silicon no longer protected by the masking layer. As such, the areas of silicon protected by the mask would remain behind after the etch process is complete. However, in another example, etching may also refer to a process that does not use a mask, but still leaves behind at least a portion of the material after the etch process is complete.

The above description serves to distinguish the term “etching” from “removing.” When etching a material, at least a portion of the material remains behind after the process is completed. In contrast, when removing a material, substantially all of the material is removed in the process. However, in some embodiments, ‘removing’ is considered to be a broad term that may incorporate etching.

During the descriptions herein, various regions of the substrate upon which the field-effect devices are fabricated are mentioned. It should be understood that these regions may exist anywhere on the substrate and furthermore that the regions may not be mutually exclusive. That is, in some embodiments, portions of one or more regions may overlap. Although up to three different regions are described herein, it should be understood that any number of regions may exist on the substrate and may designate areas having certain, types of devices or materials. In general, the regions are used to conveniently describe areas of the substrate that include similar devices and should not limit the scope or spirit of the described embodiments.

The terms “deposit” or “dispose” are used herein to describe the act of applying a layer of material to the substrate. Such terms are meant to describe any possible layer-forming technique including, but not limited to, thermal growth, sputtering, evaporation, chemical vapor deposition, epitaxial growth, electroplating, etc. According to various embodiments, for instance, deposition may be performed according to any appropriate well-known method. For instance, deposition can comprise any process that grows, coats, or transfers material onto a substrate. Some well-known technologies include physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), electrochemical deposition (ECD), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD), amongst others.

The “substrate” as used throughout the descriptions is most commonly thought to be silicon. However, the substrate may also be any of a wide array of semiconductor materials such as germanium, gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, etc. In other embodiments, the substrate may be electrically non-conductive such as a glass or sapphire wafer.

As used herein, “mask” may comprise any appropriate material that allows for selective removal (e.g., etching) of an unmasked portion a material. According to some embodiments, masking structures may comprise a photoresist such as Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), Poly(methyl glutarimide) (PMGI), a Phenol formaldehyde resin, a suitable epoxy, etc.

Before describing such embodiments in more detail, it is instructive to present an example memory cell and environment in which the present embodiments may be implemented.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a split-gate non-volatile memory cell 100. Memory cell 100 is formed on a substrate 102, such as silicon. Substrate 102 is commonly p-type or a p-type well while a first doped source/drain region 104 and a second doped source/drain region 106 are n-type. However, it is also possible for substrate 102 to be n-type while regions 104 and 106 are p-type.

Memory cell 100 includes two gates, a select gate 108 and a memory gate 110. Each gate may be a doped gate conductor layer formed by well known, for example, deposit and etch techniques to define the gate structure. Select gate 108 is disposed over a dielectric layer 112. Memory gate 110 is disposed over a charge trapping dielectric 114 having one or more dielectric layers. In one example, charge trapping dielectric 114 includes a charge trapping silicon nitride layer sandwiched between two silicon dioxide layers to create a three-layer stack collectively and commonly referred to as “ONO.” Other charge trapping dielectrics may include a silicon-rich nitride film, or any film that includes, but is not limited to, silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen in various stoichiometries. A vertical dielectric 116 is also disposed between select gate 108 and memory gate 110 for electrical isolation between the two gates. In some examples, vertical dielectric 116 and charge trapping dielectric 114 are the same dielectric, while other examples form one dielectric before the other (e.g., they can have different dielectric properties.) As such, vertical dielectric 116 need not include the same film structure as charge trapping dielectric 114. Regions 104 and 106 are created by implanting dopants using, for example, an ion implantation technique. Regions 104 and 106 form the source or drain of the split-gate transistor depending on what potentials are applied to each. In split gate transistors, for convenience, region 104 is commonly referred to as the drain, while region 106 is commonly referred to as the source, independent of the relative biases. It is to be understood that this description is meant to provide a general overview of common split-gate architecture and that, in actual practice, many more detailed steps and layers are provided to form the final memory cell 100.

An example write, read, and erase operation will now be described as it relates to memory cell 100. In order to write a bit in memory cell 100, a positive voltage on the order of 5 volts, for example, is applied to region 106 while region 104 and substrate 102 are grounded. A low positive voltage on the order of 1.5 volts, for example, is applied to select gate 108 while a higher positive voltage on the order of 8 volts, for example, is applied to memory gate 110. As electrons are accelerated within a channel region between the source and drain, some of them will acquire sufficient energy to be injected upwards and get trapped inside charge trapping dielectric 114. This is known as hot electron injection. In one example of charge trapping dielectric 114, the electrons are trapped within a nitride layer of charge trapping dielectric 114. This nitride layer is also commonly referred to as the charge trapping layer. The trapped charge within charge trapping dielectric 114 store the “high” bit within memory cell 100, even after the various supply voltages are removed.

In order to “erase” the stored charge within memory cell 100 and return the state of memory cell 100 to a “low” bit, a positive voltage on the order of 5 volts, for example, is applied to region 106 while region 104 is floated or at a certain bias, and select gate 108 and substrate 102 are typically grounded. A high negative voltage on the order of −8 volts, for example, is applied to memory gate 110. The bias conditions between memory gate 110 and region 106 generate holes through band-to-band tunneling. The generated holes are sufficiently energized by the strong electric field under memory gate 110 and are injected upwards into charge trapping dielectric 114. The injected holes effectively erase the memory cell 100 to the “low” bit state.

In order to “read” the stored bit of memory cell 100, a low voltage is applied to each of the select gate, memory gate, and region 104 in the range between zero and 3 volts, for example, while region 106 and substrate 102 are typically grounded. The low voltage applied to the memory gate is chosen so that it lies substantially equidistant between the threshold voltage necessary to turn on the transistor when storing a “high” bit and the threshold voltage necessary to tarn on the transistor when storing a “low” bit in order to clearly distinguish between the two states. For example, if the application of the low voltage during the “read” operation caused substantial current to flow between regions 104 and 106, then the memory cell holds a “low” bit and if the application of the low voltage during the “read” operation does not cause substantial current to flow between regions 104 and 106, then the memory cell holds a “high” bit.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example circuit diagram 200 that comprises a memory cell 100 including connections to various metal layers in a semiconductor device. Only a single memory cell 100 is illustrated, however, as evidenced by the ellipses in both the X and Y direction, an array of memory cells may be connected by the various lines running in both the X and Y directions. In this way, one or more memory cells 100 may be selected for reading, writing, and erasing bits based on the bit line (BL) and source line (SL) used.

An example source line (SL) runs along the X direction and is formed in a first metal layer (M1). Source line (SL) may be used to make electrical connection with doped region 106 of each memory cell 100 along a row extending in the X direction.

An example bit line (BL) runs along the Y direction and is formed in a second metal layer (M2). Bit line (BL) may be used to make electrical connection with doped region 104 of each memory cell 100 along a column extending in the Y direction.

It is to be understood that the circuit connections shown in FIG. 2 are only exemplary and that the various connections could be made in different metal layers than those illustrated. Furthermore, although not depicted, memory cells 100 may be arrayed in the Z direction as well formed within multiple stacked layers.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example semiconductor device 300 that includes both memory circuitry 302 and peripheral circuitry 304 in the same substrate 102. In this example, substrate 102 includes a core region 302 and a periphery region 304. Core region 302 includes a plurality of memory cells 100 that may operate similarly to those previously described. It should be understood that the cross-section of FIG. 3 is only exemplary, and that core region 302 and periphery region 304 may be located in any area of substrate 102 and may be made up of various different regions. Furthermore, core region 302 and periphery region 304 may exist in the same general area of substrate 102.

Substrate 302—and indeed substrates in general as used throughout the description—can be silicon according to various embodiments. However, the substrate 302 may also be any of a wide array of semiconductor materials such as germanium, gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, etc. In other embodiments, the substrate 302 may be electrically non-conductive such as a glass or sapphire wafer.

Periphery region 304 may include integrated circuit components such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, etc., as well as transistors. In the illustrated embodiment, periphery region 304 includes a plurality of high-voltage transistors 306 and low-voltage transistors 308. In one example, high-voltage transistors 306 exist in a separate region of substrate 102 than low-voltage transistors 308. High-voltage transistors 306 are capable of handling voltages up to 20 volts in magnitude, for example, while low-voltage transistors 308 operate at a faster speed, but cannot operate at the same high voltages as high-voltage transistors 306. In an embodiment, low voltage transistors 308 are designed to have a shorter gate length than high voltage transistors 306. High-voltage transistors 306 are commonly characterized as having a thicker gate dielectric 310 than the gate dielectric of low-voltage transistors 308. As shown in FIG. 3, low voltage transistors 308 have a narrower width than high-voltage transistors 306, but this need not be the case. According to some embodiments, low-voltage 308 transistors can be wider than high voltage transistors 306 or, alternatively, low-voltage transistors 308 and high-voltage transistors 306 can have the same width.

During the descriptions herein, various regions of the substrate upon which the field-effect devices are fabricated are mentioned. For instance, with respect to FIG. 3, core region 302 and periphery region 304 were described. It should be understood that these regions may exist anywhere on the substrate and furthermore that the regions may not be mutually exclusive. That is, in some embodiments, portions of one or more regions may overlap. Although up to three different regions are described herein, it should be understood that any number of regions may exist on the substrate and may designate areas having certain types of devices or materials. In general, the regions are used to conveniently describe areas of the substrate that include similar devices and should not limit the scope or spirit of the described embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a memory device 402 according to embodiments of the present invention. As shown, memory device 402 includes a memory array 404, high voltage control logic 406, and low voltage control logic 408. According to various embodiments, the memory array 404 may comprise a number of memory cells 100 and may be physically located in a core region 302 of memory device 402. High voltage control logic 406 may comprise a number of high-voltage transistors 306, which can be used to control and/or drive portions of the memory array 404. Additionally, the high voltage control logic 406 may be physically located in the periphery 304 of the memory device 402. Similarly to the high voltage control logic 406, the low voltage control logic 408 may comprise a number of low voltage transistors 308, which can be used to control and/or drive portions of the memory array 404. The low voltage control logic 408 may also be located in the periphery 304 of the memory device. According to various embodiments, the high voltage control logic 406 and the low voltage, control logic 408 are located in different portions of the periphery region 304.

FIGS. 5A-5I depict a cross-section of a semiconductor device 500 at various points during its manufacture according to embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 5A depicts device 500 after a number of structures have been formed. As shown in FIG. 5A, the device 500 includes a substrate 502 which comprises three different regions 504, 506, and 508.

A first or memory region 504 of the substrate may be used for memory components. According to various embodiments, the first region 504 comprises a memory core region where a plurality memory cells (e.g., memory cell 100) can be formed. For instance, according to some embodiments, the first region may be used to form a number of select gate 108/memory gate 110 pairs.

Logic and/or control circuitry may be formed in periphery, which includes second and third regions 506 and 508, respectively according to various embodiments. The second region 506 may comprise the high voltage control logic region 406 and the third region 508 may comprise the low voltage control logic (e.g., region 408).

As shown in FIG. 5A, a gate dielectric 512 b has been formed in second region 506 and another gate dielectric 512 c has been formed in the third region 508. Gate dielectric 512 a (not shown in this figure) can be created at a different time according to various embodiments. Each of the gate dielectrics 512 a, 512 b, and 512 c may comprise any suitable dielectric material such as, for instance and oxide. According to various embodiments the gate dielectrics 512 b and 512 c may be different thicknesses, but this need not be the case. The gate dielectrics 512 b and 512 c may be formed through any well-known method. For instance, the dielectrics may be grown on the substrate 502 and comprise an oxide of the substrate material (e.g., silicon oxide). It is also possible, however, for the gate dielectrics 512 b and 512 c to be disposed on the substrate and comprise an oxide of a different material than the substrate. Additionally, dielectrics 512 b and 512 c may comprise the same or different material and may be formed at the same time or at different times according to various embodiments. A gate dielectric 512 a (not shown in this figure) may later be disposed in the first region 504 according to various embodiments as well. The gate dielectric 512 a may be thinner than either of the of the gate dielectrics 512 a and 512 b according to some embodiments, but it also may be the same thickness as either or both of gate dielectrics 512 a and 512 b.

A charge trapping dielectric 514 has been disposed above the substrate 502 in the first region 504, as shown in FIG. 5A. According to various embodiments, the charge trapping dielectric comprises one or more layers of dielectric such as ONO, as described above. For instance, the charge trapping dielectric 514 may comprise a first dielectric layer 514 a, a charge trapping layer 514 b, and a second dielectric layer 514 c. Regardless of the specific composition of the charge trapping dielectric 514, it preferably contains at least one charge trapping layer 514 b. The charge trapping layer may be formed of a nitride or silicon rich nitride, and may include multiple layers of different nitrides according to some embodiments.

A gate conductor layer 516 has been formed over all three regions 504, 506, and 508 of the device 500. According to various embodiments, the gate conductor layer 516 may be disposed or deposited according to any appropriate well-known method such as deposition. Deposition can comprise any process that grows, coats, or transfers material onto a substrate. Some well-known technologies include physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), electrochemical deposition (ECD), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD), amongst others.

A cap layer 518 has been formed over all three regions 504, 506, and 508 of device 500. According to various embodiments, the cap layer 518 may comprise a layer of nitride 518 a disposed on over a layer of dielectric 518 b. A mask 520 is disposed over the second region 506 and the third region 508. Mask 520 may additionally be patterned in the first region 504. Both mask 520 may comprise any suitable material that allows for selective removal (e.g., etching) of the unmasked portion of the gate conductor layer 516. According to some embodiments, masking structures may comprise a photoresist such as Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), Poly(methyl glutarimide) (PMGI), a Phenol formaldehyde resin, a suitable epoxy, etc.

FIG. 5B depicts a cross section of device 500 after the gate conductor 516 is removed from the unmasked portion of the first region. Additionally, the charge trapping dielectric 514 disposed between memory gates 522 a and 522 b is removed. According to some embodiments, the removed portion of the gate conductor 516 and the charge trapping dielectric 514 is removed by any of a number of appropriate etching methods. For instance, the gate conductor layer 516 may be etched using Cl2, KOH, TMAH (tetra-methyl-amino-hydroxyl), or using gas phase etching with, for instance, H2, HCl, O2, H2O (vapor or gas), O3, HF, F2, and Carbon-Fluoride compounds with Cl2 and XeF2. Additionally, according to some embodiments, a combination of etching products may be used.

As depicted in FIG. 5B, the remaining portions of the gate conductor 516 in the first region 504 form memory gates 522 a/522 b. Additionally, a dielectric 524 has been formed on the sidewalls of the memory gates and the charge tapping dielectric 514. According to various embodiments, the dielectric may comprise a single layer dielectric or a multiple layer dielectric such as ONO, described above. Additionally, a select gate dielectric 512 a may be grown in the first region 504 according to various embodiments.

In FIG. 5C, a second gate conductor layer 526 has been formed over the memory gates 522 in the first region 504. According to some embodiments, the second gate conductor layer 526 may be substantially conformal to the other structures formed in the first region, but this need not be this case in all embodiments. Second gate conductor layer 526 has also been formed over the second region 506 and the third region 508, as shown in FIG. C.

FIG. 5D depicts the partial removal of the second gate conductor layer 526. As can be seen, a portion of the second gate conductor layer 526 remains disposed on the sidewalls of the memory gates 522 a and 522 b. Gate conductor portions 528 a and 528 b will eventually comprise the select gates for memory cells to be formed using memory gates 522 a and 522 b. Portions 530 a and 530 b, however, are superfluous. Superfluous portions 530 a and 530 b can be removed by masking portions 528 a and 528 b with mask 532, as shown in FIG. 5E. Once masked, the superfluous portions 530 a and 530 b can be removed as well as the unmasked portion of dielectric 524. The result of this removal is depicted in FIG. 5F.

FIG. 5G depicts a cross section of device 500 after several additional steps have been performed according to various embodiments. In FIG. 5G, the first and third regions 504 and 508 are masked with mask 536. Additionally, mask 536 may be patterned over second region 506 over cap layer 518. The portion of cap layer 518 and of the second gate conductor 516 not beneath the patterned mask 536 is removed from the second region 506, as shown. After gate 544 in the second region is defined, the lightly doped drain and source masks and implants are performed to form the junctions next to gates 544. After the scenario depicted in FIG. 5G, mask 536 can be removed from the device 500 and the nitride portion 518 a can be removed from the cap layer 518 in all three regions using, for instance, a nitride wet strip.

FIG. 5H depicts a cross section of device 500 after gate 544 has been defined by the removal of a portion of the second gate conductor 516 from the second region 506. Additionally, a mask 546 has been disposed in the second region 506 in order to protect the gate 544 from the process steps of forming logic gates in the third region 508. Additionally, mask 546 has been patterned in the third region 508 in order to facilitate formation of a gate 548 in the third region 508.

FIG. 5I depicts a cross section of device 500 after a second logic gate 548 has been defined in the third region 508. Additionally, mask 546 is removed from the first region 504 and the second region 506. Any remaining portions of cap layer 518 are also shown as removed. At this point device 500, thus, comprises a pair of memory cells 550 a d 550 b disposed in the first region 504 of the device 500. Each of the memory cells 550 a and 550 b comprises a memory gate 522 a and 522 b (generally referred to herein as “memory gate 522”) and a select gate 534 a and 534 b, respectively. A dielectric 524 a and 524 b disposed on a sidewall of the memory gate electrically isolates the select gates 534 a and 534 b from their associated memory gates 522 a and 522 b. Charge trapping dielectrics 514 a and 514 b are disposed beneath the memory gates 522 a and 522 b. As discussed above, the charge trapping dielectrics 514 a and 514 b may comprise one 01 more dielectric layer that includes a charge trapping layer. Additionally, the charge trapping dielectrics 514 a and 514 b are separate and independently formed form the sidewall dielectrics 524 a and 524 b.

In addition to the memory cells 550 a and 550 b, the device 500 comprises a first gate 544 disposed in the second region 506 and a second gate 548 disposed in the third region 508. According to various embodiments, the second region may be configured to accommodate high-voltage circuitry and logic and, accordingly, the gate 544 may be designed to handle high-voltage. For instance, gate 544 may be longer than gate 548 in order to facilitate the use of higher current in the second region 506. Third region 508 may be configured to accommodate relatively lower voltage logic and/or circuitry. Accordingly, gate 548 may be thinner than gate 544 according to various embodiments.

It should be understood, that FIGS. 5A-5I depict a simplified version of device 500 with only a pair of memory cells 550 a and 550 b and a single logic gate 542 and 540 in each of the second region 506 and the third region 508 for ease of explanation. A person of ordinary skill in the art, however, would understand that device 500 could contain a large number of memory cells, logic cells, and other components in each of the first region 504, second region 506, and third region 508.

FIGS. 6A-6D depict an alternative to the method of forming the select gates 534 a and 543 b on the sidewalls of the memory gates 522 a and 522 b depicted in FIGS. 5A-5I. As shown in FIG. 6A, device 600 may comprise a substrate 602 and memory gates 610 a and 610 b. Disposed between each of the memory gates 610 a and 610 b is a charge trapping dielectrics 603 a and 603 b. In this case, the charge trapping dielectrics 603 a and 603 b each comprise a top dielectric 604 a and 604 b, a nitride layer 606 a and 606 b, and a bottom dielectric 608 a and 608 b. According to some embodiments the bottom dielectric 608 a and 608 b may be in addition to an additional gate dielectric (not shown). According to various embodiments, the top dielectrics 604 a and 604 b and the bottom dielectrics 608 a and 608 b may comprise oxides of any suitable material such as silicon oxide. Additionally, the charge trapping dielectrics may comprise additional layers. For instance, it may be desirable to include multiple nitride layers 606 a and 606 b to act as charge trapping layers. The dielectric layers 604 a, 604 b, 608 a, and 608 b may comprise dielectrics of the substrate or some other material and may be formed according to any of a number of conventional means. The nitride layers 606 a and 606 b may comprise silicon nitride, silicon rich nitride, or any material suitable to act as a charge trapping layer.

FIG. 6A also depicts a dielectrics 620 a and 620 b (collectively referred to as dielectric 620 herein) disposed on the sidewall memory gate structures 610 a and 610 b. Dielectric 620 may comprise a single layer of dielectric or multiple layers such as the ONO described above. Over the dielectric 620, and the memory gate structures 610 a and 610 b, a layer of gate conductor 612 is disposed. Additionally, a mask 614 has been formed over a portion of the gate conductor 612 disposed on the inner sidewalls of the memory gates 610 a and 610 b.

As shown in FIG. 6B, a portion of the gate conductor layer 612 can be removed from the unmasked area of device 600. However, some of the gate conductor in the unmasked portion is purposefully not removed on the outer sidewalls of the memory gates 610 a and 610 b. The retained portion of the gate conductor 612 on the outer sidewalls of memory gates 610 a and 610 b will form the select gates 616 a and 616 b.

As shown in FIG. 6C, mask 614 is removed leaving gate conductor 612 exposed. Additionally, new masks 618 a and 618 b have been formed over the select gates 616 a and 616 b and a portion of memory gates 610 a and 610 b. The remaining gate conductor 612 can then be removed from the inner sidewall portion of memory gates 610 a and 610 b, as is shown in FIG. 6D.

FIG. 6D depicts two split-gate memory cells 622 a and 622 b formed according to the alternative process depicted in FIGS. 6A-6D with the cap layer 518 on 610 a and 610 b removed. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 6D dielectric 620 is removed from the sidewalls between the memory gates 610 a and 610 b. As shown in FIG. 6D, each of the split-gate memory cells includes a memory gate 610 a and 610 b disposed above a charge trapping dielectric 603 a and 603 b. The charge trapping dielectric 603 a and 603 b is itself comprised of several dielectric layers. For instance, the charge trapping dielectric may include a top dielectric layer 604 a and 604 b, a nitride layer 606 a and 606 b, and a bottom dielectric layer 608 a and 608 b, as shown.

A select gate 616 a and 616 b has been formed a sidewall of each of the memory gates 610 a and 610 b. A dielectric 620 a and 620 b electrically isolates the select gates 616 a and 616 b from the memory gates 610 a and 610 b. According to various embodiments, the dielectric 620 a and 620 b may comprise one or more dielectric layers, but has been formed independently of the charge trapping dielectric 603 a and 603 b.

For simplicity's sake, FIGS. 5A-5I and 6A-6D do not expressly depict source and drain regions in devices 500 and 600. However, it should be understood that appropriate source and drain regions (e.g., regions 104 and 106) would be formed in devices 500 and 600 during the manufacturing process by any appropriate method such as ion implantation, for example.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart depicting a method 700 of forming a semiconductor device according to various embodiments. The discussion of FIG. 7 will make reference to FIGS. 5A-5I, but it should be understood that method 700 is not limited to the specific embodiment depicted in FIGS. 5A-5I, but is more generally applicable.

As shown in FIG. 7, the method 700 may begin by masking a peripheral region of the device 500 at step 702. The peripheral region may include any portion of the device 500 that is not the memory region or first region 504. For instance, in device 500, the peripheral region could include second region 506 and third region 508.

According to various embodiments, step 702 may occur after gate dielectrics 512 a, 512 b, and 512 c have been formed in each of the first region 504, second region 506, and third region 508. Additionally, prior to performing step 702, a charge trapping dielectric may be formed in the first region 504. As described above, the charge trapping dielectric may comprise one or more layers of dielectric such as ONO, as described above. For instance, the charge trapping dielectric 514 may comprise a first dielectric layer 514 a, a nitride layer 514 b, and a second dielectric layer 514 c. In addition to the charge trapping layer, a first, gate conductor layer 516 may be formed in each of the first region 504, the second region 506, and the third region 508 prior to performing step 702.

At step 704, a memory gate 522 can be formed from a first gate conductor 516. This can be accomplished by masking a portion of the gate conductor 516 in the first region 504 and etching the unmasked gate conductor 516 to define a memory gate 522. Additionally, it should be noted, that the portion of the charge trapping layer not beneath the memory gate 522 can also be removed from the first region 504 by, for instance, etching during the process of forming the memory gate 522.

At step 706, a dielectric 524 is disposed on a sidewall of memory gate 522. The dielectric 524 may comprise one or more dielectric layers. For instance, the dielectric 524 may include a nitride layer and one or two dielectric layers. The dielectric can be disposed on the sidewall of the memory gate 522 by, for instance, forming a dielectric layer over the memory gate, then dry etching to remove any of the dielectric 524 that is not on the sidewall of the memory gate 522. Additionally, a select gate dielectric 512 a may be formed in the first region at this time according to various embodiments.

At step 708, a second gate conductor layer 526 is disposed over the dielectric 524. According to some embodiments, the second gate conductor layer 526 may be substantially conformal to the other structures formed in the first region, but this need not be this case in all embodiments.

At step 710, a select gate 534 is formed from the second gate conductor 526. According to some embodiments. The select gate 534 can be formed by removing gate conductor from the first region 504, while retaining a portion of the second gate conductor layer 526 remains disposed on the sidewalls of the memory gate 522. A superfluous portion 530 of the gate conductor 526 can be removed form one of the sidewalls of the memory gate by masking a select gate portion 534 and etching the rest. At step 712, the first region, which now contains a largely completed memory cell, can be masked to allow the formation of a logic gate in the second region 506 at step 714.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart depicting a method 800 of forming a select gate according to various embodiments. The discussion of FIG. 8 will make reference to FIGS. 6A-6D, but it should be understood that method 800 is not limited to the specific embodiment depicted in FIGS. 6A-6D, but is more generally applicable.

According to method 800, a source side of memory gate 610 is masked at step 802. Prior to performing step 802, however, a device 600 may be formed. Device 600 may comprise, a substrate 602 and memory gates 610 a and 610 b (referred to in general as “memory gate 610” herein). Disposed between each of the memory gate 610 and the substrate is a charge trapping dielectric 603. The charge trapping dielectrics 603 may include a top dielectric 604, a nitride layer 606, and a bottom dielectric 608. According to some embodiments the bottom dielectric 608 may be in addition to an additional gate dielectric. Additionally, the charge trapping dielectric 603 may comprise additional layers. For instance, it may be desirable to include multiple nitride layers 606 to act as charge trapping layers. The dielectric layers 604 and 608 may comprise oxides of the substrate or some other material and may be formed according to any of a number of conventional means. The nitride layer 606 may comprise silicon nitride, silicon rich nitride, or any material suitable to act as a charge trapping layer.

A dielectric 620 may also have been disposed over the memory gate structure 610 prior to step 802. Dielectric 620 may comprise a single layer of dielectric or multiple layers such as the ONO described above. Over the dielectric 620, a layer of gate conductor 612 is disposed. Additionally, a gate conductor layer 612 may be disposed over the memory gate structure 610 prior to performing step 802.

At step 804, a drain (unmasked in this case) is removed (e.g., etched) to define a select gate 616 on the sidewall of the memory gate 610. The select gate 616 can be defined by removing a portion of the gate conductor 612 from the unmasked region. However, some of the gate conductor 612 is purposefully left on the sidewall of the memory gate 610 in order to form the select gate 616.

At step 806, the drain side of the memory gate can be masked to protect the select gate 616. Next, the remaining gate conductor 612 can be removed from the source side of the memory gate at step 808.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart depicting a method 900 for forming a charge trapping dielectric in a first region 504 of a semiconductor device 500 according to various embodiments. The device 500 may include a first region 504, a second region 506, and a third region 508 as depicted, for instance, in FIGS. 5A-5I.

At step 902, the charge trapping dielectric 514 is formed in each of the first region 504, the second region 506, and the third region 508. The charge trapping dielectric may include one or more dielectric layers according to various embodiments. For instance, according to some embodiments, the charge trapping dielectric may include a top dielectric 514 a, a nitride layer 514 b, and a bottom dielectric 514 c. Additionally, the step of forming the charge trapping dielectric may comprise depositing each of the top dielectric 514 a, the nitride layer 514 b, and the bottom dielectric 514 c separately.

At step 904, the first region 504 is masked to protect it from process steps that will be carried out in the second region 506 and the third region 508. At step 906, the charge trapping dielectric 514 is removed from the second region and a gate dielectric 512 b can be formed at step 908.

At step 910, the charge trapping dielectric 514 can be removed from the third region and a gate dielectric 512 c can be formed in the third region at step 912. After step 912, the device 500 includes a charge trapping dielectric in the first region separately formed gate dielectrics 510 b and 510 c in the second region 506 and the third region 508.

As noted above, according to some embodiments, silicon rich nitride (SiRN) can be used for the charge trapping layer 514 b. SiRN can be advantageous to use as the charge trapping layer in a split-gate memory cell because it has been found to have better reliability, a faster erase speed, and a lower erase current. While SiRN has some properties that make it good to use as the charge trapping layer 514 b, it also has some properties that make it difficult to use. For instance, unlike other nitrides, SiRN is slightly conductive. Accordingly, it is important to ensure that the charge trapping layer 514 b of each memory cell (e.g., 550 a or 550 b) is isolated from the other memory cells in order to avoid leakage. FIG. 10 is a flowchart depicting a method 1000 of isolating the charge trapping layers in each of the memory cells from each other according to various embodiments. FIGS. 11A-11E depict a semiconductor device 1100 at various points during method 1000. Accordingly, FIG. 10 will be discussed in conjunction with FIGS. 11A-11E.

FIG. 11A depicts a semiconductor device 1100. The device 1100 includes a substrate 1102 and shallow trench isolation (STI) regions 1104 a and 1104 b (collectively referred to herein as STI regions 1104). STI regions 1104 function to electrically isolate adjacent semiconductor components (not shown) from each other.

According to method 1000, at step 1002, a nitride layer 1106 is formed over the STI regions 1104 of the semiconductor device 1100 after bottom dielectric. The result of this step is depicted in FIG. 11B. The nitride layer 1106 may comprise SiRN or any other suitable nitride. As shown in FIG. 11B, the nitride layer 1106 is conformal with the top of semiconductor device 1100.

At step 1004, a sacrificial layer 1108 may be formed over the nitride layer 1106. The sacrificial layer 1108 may comprise any suitable material. For instance, according to some various embodiments, the sacrificial layer 1108 may comprise an oxide, BARC, photoresist, etc. The device 1100 is depicted after step 1004 in FIG. 11C.

At step 1006, portions of the sacrificial layer 1108, the nitride layer 1106, and the STI regions 1104 can be removed. As shown in FIG. 11D, the removed portions of the sacrificial layer 1108, the nitride layer 1106, and the STI regions 1104 cause a discontinuity in the nitride layer 1106. According, to various embodiments, the removed portions 1108, 1106, and 1104 can be removed by dry or wet etch, polish back, or any other appropriate means. At step 1008, the remaining portion of the sacrificial layer 1108 can be removed from the device 1100, as depicted in FIG. 11E.

In another aspect the present disclosure is directed to a memory device including a split-gate non-volatile memory cell having a memory gate and select gate separated by a multi-layer dielectric structure including a nitride layer, such as a silicon nitride (SiN) or silicon oxynitride (SiON) layer, parallel to sidewalls of the memory gate and the select gate, where the memory gate and the select gate are separated by a total thickness of the layers of the dielectric structure.

FIG. 12 illustrates a cross-sectional schematic view of one embodiment of such a memory device 1200. Referring to FIG. 12, each memory cell 1202 is formed on a substrate 1204, such as silicon. Substrate 1204 is commonly a p-type or includes a p-type well (not shown) in which the memory cell is formed, and a first doped source region 1206 and a second doped drain region 1208 are n-type created by implanting dopants using, for example, an ion implantation technique. However, it is also possible for substrate 1204 to be n-type while regions 1208 and 1206 are p-type.

Memory cell 1202 includes two gates, a select gate 1210 and a memory gate 1212 overlying a single, contiguous channel 1213 in the substrate 1204. In some embodiments, such that shown in FIG. 12, there a difference in height between a top surface of the select gate and the top surface of the memory gate. In particular, the top surface of the select gate 1210 proximal to the memory gate 1212 extends above the top surface of the memory gate, to provide isolation against shorts or leakage between a SALICIDE 1240 subsequently formed on the top surface of the select gate and the SALICIDE on the top surface of the memory gate. Each gate 1210 and 1212 may be a doped gate conductor layer formed, for example, by well-known deposition and etch techniques to define the gate structure. Select gate 1210 is disposed over a gate dielectric 1214. Memory gate 1212 is disposed over a charge storage structure 1216 having one or more dielectric layers, including a tunnel layer 1218, a blocking layer 1220 and a charge storage layer 1222 sandwiched therebetween. In one example, the charge storage structure 1216 includes a nitride charge storage layer 1222 sandwiched between a silicon dioxide tunnel layer 1218 and a silicon dioxide blocking layer 1220, to create a three-layer stack collectively and commonly referred to as “ONO.” The nitride charge storage layer can include one or more layers of silicon nitride (SiN) or silicon oxynitride (SiON) including silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen in various stoichiometries to provide desired trap density and to locate a centroid of the trapped charge within the top of the nitride layer, further away from the substrate for a given charge storage layer thickness to improve charge retention. For example, in one embodiment the nitride layer can be a bilayer including an oxygen rich first SiN or SiON layer deposited on the lower dielectric layer, and an oxygen lean, silicon rich second SiN or SiON layer deposited on the first layer, which is trap dense. By oxygen-rich it is meant wherein a concentration of oxygen in the oxygen-rich first SiN or SiON layer is from about 15% to about 40%, whereas a concentration of oxygen in the oxygen-lean second layer is less than about 5%.

Other charge storage structures may include a polysilicon charge storage layer 1222 sandwiched between the tunnel layer 1218 and a multilayer blocking layer 1220, to form a floating gate of a floating gate NVM transistor. The multilayer blocking layer 1220 can include one or more silicon oxide, silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride dielectric layers. For example, in one embodiment the multilayer blocking layer 1220 can include an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) stack.

In the embodiment described above, the tunnel layer 1218 and the blocking layer 1220, can include one or more layers of a dielectric material such as silicon dioxide. In other embodiments, either or both of the tunnel layer 1218 and the blocking layer 1220 can include a high K dielectric. Suitable high K dielectrics include aluminum oxide or hafnium based materials such as HfSiON, HfSiO or HfO, Zirconium based material such as ZrSiON, ZrSiO or ZrO, and Yttrium based material such as Y₂O₃.

The memory cell 1202 further includes a first sidewall spacer or inter-gate dielectric structure 1224 disposed between select gate 1210 and memory gate 1212 for electrical isolation between the two gates, and a second sidewall spacer 1225 surrounding both the select gate 1210 and memory gate 1212. In some embodiments, such as that shown in FIG. 12 the second sidewall spacer 1225 includes a spacer 1225 a or portion of the spacer adjacent the sidewall of the select gate 1210, and between the sidewall of the select gate and the top surface of the memory gate 1212, to provide further isolation against shorts or leakage between the SALICIDE 1240 formed on the top surface of the select gate and the SALICIDE 1240 on the top surface of the memory gate. Although the second sidewall spacers 1225 and 1225 a are shown in FIG. 12 as being formed from or including a single layer of material, it will be appreciated that this need not be the case. According to some embodiments the second sidewall spacers 1225 and 1225 a can include one or more layers of sequentially deposited dielectric materials, such as silicon oxides (SiO2), silicon nitride (SiN) and silicon oxynitride (SiN).

Generally, the dielectric structure 1224 further extends between the charge storage structure 1216 and the gate dielectric 1214, and includes one or more dielectric layers substantially parallel to sidewalls of the memory gate 1212 and the select gate 1210 and substantially perpendicular to a surface 1227 of the substrate 1204 such that the memory gate and the select gate are separated by a total thickness of the layers of the dielectric structure. The dielectric structure can have a thickness of from about 50 Å to about 300 Å. In some embodiments, the dielectric structure 1224 includes a first dielectric layer 1226 adjacent the sidewall of the memory gate 1212, a second dielectric layer 1228 adjacent the sidewall of the select gate 1210, and a nitride layer 1230, such as a silicon nitride (SiN) layer or a silicon oxynitride (SiON) layer, between the first and second dielectric layers. Where the dielectric structure includes a silicon nitride layer, the silicon nitride can include a Si₃N₄ layer or a silicon rich nitride (SiRN) layer. By SiRN layer is meant a silicon nitride of having the chemical formula of Si_(x)N_(y), where x is greater than or equal to y. Suitable materials for the first and second dielectric layers 1226, 1228, can include silicon dioxide (SiO₂). As shown in FIG. 12, the nitride layer 1230 of the dielectric structure 1224 is discontiguous with and separated from the nitride charge storage layer 1222 by the first dielectric layer 1226. Nevertheless, in some examples one or more layers of the dielectric structure 1224 have the same stoichiometry, as the layers 1218, 1220, 1222, of the charge storage structure 1216 and/or the gate dielectric 1214 and are formed contiguous and/or concurrently therewith. For example, in one embodiment the second dielectric layer 1228 comprises an L-shaped second dielectric layer including a first portion formed on or over the nitride dielectric layer 1230 parallel to the sidewall of the memory gate 1212 and a second portion on over the surface 1226 of the substrate 1204, which is included within or substantially forms the gate dielectric 1214.

The memory device 1200 further includes multiple interlevel dielectric layers (ILD 1232 a, 1232 b) including a dielectric material such as silicon dioxide (SiO₂) deposited or formed over the surface 1226 of the substrate 1204 and the memory cells 1202 formed thereon. A number of first vias 1234 electrically connect landing pads 1236 and a source line 1238 formed from a first metal or M1 layer on the first ILD 1232 a to self-aligned silicides or SALICIDES 1240 on the drain region 1208 and source region 1206 respectively. A bitline 1242 formed from a second metal or M2 layer on the second ILD 1232 b is electrically coupled to the landing pads 1236 through a number of second vias 1244.

An embodiment of a method of manufacturing the memory device of FIG. 12 according to various embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to FIG. 13 and FIGS. 14A through 14G. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method or process flow for manufacturing a split-gate non-volatile memory cell having a memory gate and select gate separated by a multi-layer dielectric structure including a SiN or SiON nitride layer. FIGS. 14A-14G are block diagrams illustrating cross-sectional views of a portion of a memory device 1400, including multiple split-gate non-volatile memory cells, two of which are shown, during fabrication of the memory device according to the method of FIG. 13.

Referring to FIG. 13 and FIG. 14A, the process begins with forming a channel 1402 in surface 1404 of a substrate 1406. (step 1302) The channel 1402 may be doped with either P-type or N-type dopant impurity atoms. For example, in one embodiment, the channel 1402 is P-type doped with boron having a concentration in the range of 1×10¹⁵-1×10¹⁹ atoms/cm³. Alternatively, the channel 1402 can be doped with phosphorous or arsenic. Charge storage structures 1408 are formed on the surface 1404 of the substrate 1406 over a first portion of the channel 1402 a (step 1304), and memory gates 1410 formed on the charge storage structures. (step 1306) Generally, this is accomplished by sequentially depositing or forming over the surface 1404 of the substrate 1406 a tunnel layer 1412, a charge storage layer 1414, and a blocking layer 1416 from which the charge storage structures 1408 will be formed and a polysilicon gate layer from which memory gates 1410 will be formed. As noted above, the tunnel layer 1412 can include SiO₂ either thermally grown or deposited by CVD, PECVD or ALD. The charge storage layer 1414 can be a nitride charge storage layer including one or more layers of SiN or SiON, deposited by CVD, PECVD or ALD, or a polysilicon floating gate layer deposited by MBE. The blocking layer 1416 can include one or more layers of either a thermally grown or deposited SiO₂ and/or a high K dielectric deposited by CVD, PECVD or ALD. A memory gate hardmask 1420 is then formed over the polysilicon gate layer by depositing, for example, a thin silicon oxide layer 1420 a and a silicon nitride layer 1420 b and patterning the layers using a photoresist and known photolithographic and etching techniques. Alternatively, the hardmask can include any combination of one or more dielectric layers including silicon oxide, silicon nitride and or silicon oxynitride. For example, nitride layers can be etched using a known low pressure nitride etch at a moderate power (about 500 W) in a plasma of a fluorine containing gas, such as CF₄, or CHF₃; silicon dioxides can be either wet or dry etched; and polysilicon containing layers can dry etched using known polysilicon etch chemistries, such as CHF₃ or C₂H₂ or HBr/O₂. After the layers have been etched or patterned to form the memory gates 1410 and charge storage structures 1408 shown in FIG. 14A, any remaining photoresist is stripped and a post resist strip wet clean performed, which generally results in a thin oxide 1422 remaining on the surface 1404 of the substrate 1406.

Next, inter-gate, multilayer dielectric structures are formed adjacent to sidewalls of the memory gates 1410 and charge storage structures 1408. Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14B this is accomplished using any known oxidation formation process, to deposit a first dielectric layer 1424 comprising silicon dioxide on the sidewalls of the memory gates 1410. (step 1308). A nitride dielectric layer 1426, including one or more layers of SiN, SiRN or SiON, is formed on the first dielectric 1424 by CVD or furnace deposition followed by an anisotropic spacer etch to stop on the SiO2 of the first dielectric and the thin oxide 1422 on the surface 1404 of the substrate 1406. (step 1310) As noted above in connection with FIG. 12, the nitride dielectric layer 1426 is discontiguous with and separated from the charge storage layer 1414 by the first dielectric layer 1424. Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14C a second dielectric layer 1428 is formed over the nitride dielectric layer 1426 by thermally growing or depositing a silicon dioxide layer using any known oxide process. (step 1312) As noted above in connection with FIG. 12, in some embodiments the second dielectric layer 1428 comprises an L-shaped second dielectric layer including a first portion formed on or over the nitride dielectric layer 1426 parallel to the sidewall of the memory gate 1410 and a second portion on over the surface 1404 of the substrate 1406, which is included within or substantially concurrently forms gate dielectrics 1430 for select gates of the memory cells.

Referring again to FIG. 13 and to FIGS. 14C and 14D, select gates 1432 are formed over gate dielectrics 1430 overlying a second portion of the channel 1402 b and adjacent to the second dielectric layer 1428, the select gates proximal to the memory gates 1410 and separated therefrom by a total thickness of the first and second dielectric layers 1424, 1428, and the nitride dielectric layer 1426. (step 1314) This is accomplished through an etching technique that also exposes one or more drain regions into which implanting is done using a dopant of the appropriate type at an energy and to a concentration selected to form one or more drains 1436. (step 1316)

Next, referring to FIGS. 13 and 14E the select gates 1432 and memory gates 1410 are covered with an array source mask 1438 and the polysilicon layer 1434 over a source region removed, a dopant of the appropriate type implanted at an energy and to a concentration selected to form a source 1440 and the array source mask 1438 removed. (step 1318)

Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14F the memory gate hardmask 1420 is removed and second sidewall spacers 1442 formed surrounding both the select gate 1432 and memory gate 1410. (step 1320) As noted above, in some embodiments, such as that shown in FIG. 14F the second sidewall spacers 442 includes a spacer 1442 a or portion of the spacer adjacent the sidewall of the select gate 1432, and between the sidewall of the select gate and the top surface of the memory gate 1410, to provide further isolation against shorts or leakage between a SALICIDE subsequently formed on the top surface of the select gate and the SALICIDE on the top surface of the memory gate. Optionally, as in the embodiment shown, during removal of the memory gate hardmask 1420 a portion of the dielectric structure not between the select gates 1432 and memory gates 1410 may be removed. The memory gate hardmask 1420 and portions of the dielectric structure can be removed using any of the oxide and nitride etch techniques described above. Generally, the process for forming the second sidewall spacers 1442 can include deposition of a silicon nitride layer in a CVD furnace, followed by a known nitride spacer etch to substantially remove the silicon nitride from the surface 1404 of the substrate 1406 to form the rounded second sidewall spacers 1442 shown in FIG. 14F

Next, referring to FIG. 13 and to FIG. 14G, a self-aligned silicide or SALICIDE 1444 is formed over the surface 1404 of the substrate 1406 in all source and drain regions 1440, 1436, and over the memory gates 1410 and select gates 1432. (step 1322) The silicide process may be any commonly employed in the art, including for example a pre-clean etch, metal deposition, anneal and wet strip.

Finally, referring to FIGS. 12 and 13 the ILDs 1232 a, 1232 b are formed over the surface 1227 of the substrate 1204 and the memory cells 1202 (step 1324), and vias 1234, 1244, landing pads 1236, source line 1238 and bitline 1242 are formed. Generally, the ILDs 1232 a, 1232 b can include any suitable dielectric material such as silicon dioxide (SiO₂), and can be deposited or formed using suitable, known deposition technique, including CVD. The vias can be formed by etching openings in the ILDs and depositing metal in the openings using PVD or CVD. The landing pads, bitline and source line can be formed by depositing metal layers using PVD or CVD, and patterning the metal layers using known photolithographic and metal etching techniques.

It is to be appreciated that the Detailed Description section, and not the Summary and Abstract sections, is intended to be used to interpret the claims. The Summary and Abstract sections may set forth one or more but not all exemplary embodiments of the present invention as contemplated by the inventor(s), and thus, are not intended to limit the present invention and the appended claims in any way.

Thus, split-gate non-volatile memory cell having a memory gate and select gate separated by a multi-layer dielectric structure including a SiN/SiON dielectric layer and methods of making the same have been disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention have been described above with the aid of functional building blocks illustrating the implementation of specified functions and relationships thereof. The boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternate boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed.

The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present invention. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance.

The breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A memory device, comprising: a substrate; a memory gate on a charge storage structure on the substrate; a select gate on a gate dielectric on the substrate, the select gate proximal to the memory gate; and a dielectric structure between the memory gate and the select gate, and adjacent to sidewalls of the memory gate and the select gate, the dielectric structure comprising multiple dielectric layers parallel to sidewalls of the memory gate and the select gate, the multiple dielectric layers including a first dielectric layer adjacent the sidewall of the memory gate, and a nitride dielectric layer adjacent to the first dielectric layer and between the memory gate and the select gate, wherein the memory gate and the select gate are separated by a total thickness of the multiple dielectric layers.
 2. The memory device of claim 1 wherein the dielectric structure further comprises a second dielectric layer adjacent the sidewall of the select gate.
 3. The memory device of claim 2 wherein at least a portion of the dielectric structure extends between the charge storage structure and the gate dielectric.
 4. The memory device of claim 2 wherein the charge storage structure comprises a nitride charge storage layer, and wherein the nitride charge storage layer is discontiguous with and separated from the nitride dielectric layer of the dielectric structure by the first dielectric layer.
 5. The memory device of claim 2 wherein the charge storage structure comprises a polysilicon charge storage layer, and wherein the polysilicon charge storage layer is separated from the nitride dielectric layer of the dielectric structure by the first dielectric layer.
 6. The memory device of claim 2 wherein the first and second dielectric layers comprise first and second oxide layers, and wherein the nitride dielectric layer comprises silicon nitride (SiN), a silicon rich nitride (SiRN) or silicon oxynitride (SiON).
 7. The memory device of claim 2 wherein the second dielectric layer comprises an L-shaped second dielectric layer including a first portion on the nitride dielectric layer parallel to the sidewall of the memory gate and a second portion on a surface of the substrate, and wherein the gate dielectric comprises the second portion of the L-shaped second dielectric layer.
 8. The memory device of claim 1 further comprising a first self-aligned silicide (SALICIDE) on a top surface of the memory gate and a second SALICIDE on a top surface of the select gate, and wherein there is a difference in height between the top surface of the memory gate and the top surface of the select gate proximal to the memory gate.
 9. The memory device of claim 8 wherein the top surface of the select gate proximal to the memory gate extends above the top surface of the memory gate, and further comprising a spacer adjacent the sidewall of the select gate, and between the sidewall of the select gate and the top surface of the memory gate.
 10. A memory device, comprising: a channel between a source region and a drain region in a substrate; a memory gate on a charge storage structure on a surface of the substrate over a first portion of the channel; a select gate on a gate dielectric on the surface of the substrate over a second portion of the channel; and a dielectric structure between the memory gate and the select gate, the dielectric structure comprising multiple layers including a first dielectric layer adjacent to a sidewall of the memory gate, a second dielectric layer adjacent a sidewall of the select gate, and a nitride dielectric layer between the first and second dielectric layers, wherein at least a portion of the dielectric structure is positioned between the charge storage structure and the gate dielectric.
 11. The memory device of claim 10 wherein the charge storage structure comprises a nitride charge storage layer, and wherein the nitride charge storage layer is discontiguous with and separated from the nitride dielectric layer of the dielectric structure by the first dielectric layer.
 12. The memory device of claim 10 wherein the first and second dielectric layers comprise silicon oxide layers, and wherein the nitride dielectric layer comprises silicon nitride (SiN), a silicon rich nitride (SiRN) or silicon oxynitride (SiON).
 13. The memory device of claim 10 wherein the second dielectric layer comprises an L-shaped second dielectric layer including a first portion on the nitride dielectric layer parallel to the sidewall of the memory gate and a second portion on the surface of the substrate over the second portion of the channel, and wherein the gate dielectric comprises the second portion of the L-shaped second dielectric layer.
 14. The memory device of claim 10 further comprising a first self-aligned silicide (SALICIDE) on a top surface of the memory gate and a second SALICIDE on a top surface of the select gate, and wherein there is a difference in height between the top surface of the memory gate and the top surface of the select gate proximal to the memory gate.
 15. The memory device of claim 14 wherein the top surface of the select gate proximal to the memory gate extends above the top surface of the memory gate, and further comprising a spacer adjacent the sidewall of the select gate, and between the sidewall of the select gate and the top surface of the memory gate.
 16. A method of making a semiconductor comprising: forming a channel in a surface of a substrate; forming a charge storage structure on the surface of the substrate over a first portion of the channel; forming a memory gate on the charge storage structure; forming a first dielectric layer on a sidewall of the memory gate; forming a nitride dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer adjacent to the sidewall of the memory gate and parallel thereto; forming a second dielectric layer over the nitride dielectric layer and parallel to the sidewall of the memory gate; and forming a select gate over a gate dielectric overlying a second portion of the channel and adjacent to the second dielectric layer, the select gate proximal to the memory gate and separated therefrom by a total thickness of the first and second dielectric layers and the nitride dielectric layer.
 17. The method of claim 16 wherein forming the second dielectric layer comprises forming an L-shaped second dielectric layer on the nitride dielectric layer parallel to the sidewall of the memory gate and on the surface of the substrate over the second portion of the channel to concurrently form the gate dielectric, wherein the gate dielectric comprises a portion of the L-shaped second dielectric layer formed on the surface of the substrate over the second portion of the channel.
 18. The method of claim 16 wherein the charge storage structure comprises a nitride charge storage layer, and wherein forming the nitride dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer comprises forming a nitride dielectric layer discontiguous with and separated from the nitride charge storage layer of the charge storage structure by the first dielectric layer.
 19. The method of claim 16 wherein forming the first and second dielectric layers comprises forming first and second oxide layers, and wherein forming the nitride dielectric layer comprises forming a nitride dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride (SiN), a silicon rich nitride (SiRN) or silicon oxynitride (SiON).
 20. The method of claim 16 wherein forming a select gate comprises forming a select gate having a top surface proximal to the memory gate that is higher than a top surface of the memory gate, and further comprising forming a spacer adjacent to a sidewall of the select gate, and between the sidewall of the select gate and the top surface of the memory gate. 